Organizers of the Galilee Conference noted that Cohen's lecture was a closed session not authorized for broadcast, meaning the full content could not be shared publicly. Nevertheless, the disclosed remarks offer a rare window into Israeli intelligence activities targeting Iran.
Cohen served as Mossad director during a turbulent period that included significant intelligence operations against Iran's nuclear program. In recent months, the Mossad has experienced internal upheaval, with current director Roman Gofman reportedly dismissing the head of the intelligence directorate and the Iran division chief following failures to topple the ayatollah regime.
The Fordow facility Cohen referenced is one of Iran's central enrichment sites, constructed deep within a mountain with heavy protective measures. The fact that Mossad operatives "toured" it repeatedly points to extraordinary intelligence capabilities and deep penetration of Iran's nuclear apparatus.
More than a year ago, U.S. President Donald Trump made dramatic public statements to the media about an unprecedented achievement against the Islamic Republic. It has since become clear that the situation on the ground differed substantially from his definitive declarations.
In his remarks, Trump claimed the American military had delivered "precise and massive strikes" on Iran's three main nuclear facilities—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. "Our goal was to destroy Iran's nuclear enrichment capability and end the nuclear threat posed by the world's number one state sponsor of terror," the president said at the time. "Tonight, I can report to the world that the strikes were a stunning military success. Iran's main nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and utterly destroyed." Fox News quickly published operational details, reporting that six bunker-buster bombs were dropped on Fordow while 30 Tomahawk missiles were fired at other nuclear sites.
The intelligence reality proved far different. While the facilities did sustain damage—the precise extent of which was still being assessed—no credible intelligence source estimated that Iran's nuclear program had been destroyed or that the matter was concluded. Official confirmation of this embarrassing gap came just two days after Trump's speech. The New York Times revealed an internal Pentagon intelligence report that completely contradicted the president's version. The report stated unequivocally that the damage inflicted on the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan facilities by the bombings was far from final or complete.
